After I posted my previous post it hit me "Ghillie suit" , Why did'nt I think of it before? Well i went out yesterday morning scouting, found me a great spot to sit,marked it with some reflective dots, Im gonna try to get me a suit this week and be ready for Saturday morning. I just love the thrill of the ground hunting experience , although I have not been successful yet ,the thrill of the hunt is great !

Ghillie suit. If you sit where you have some background and you don't move, they will run you over!

Seriously, they work that well. The biggest problem you will have is deer maybe getting TOO close, and with the bow, drawing on a deer is a real challenge. With the firearm, they work so well they should be illegal![;)]

I couldn't have said it any better!

"A fool learns from his own mistake but a wiseman learns from a fool's mistake "

You DO NOT need special physical skills to stillhunt. If you can walk, kneel, squat, sit, and are able to stand on one leg without losing your balance you're there.

The most difficult part of stillhunting is the MENTAL aspect. Most of us are modern humans trying to adjust to an environment of natural rythms which are completely opposite how we otherwise exist. I could write 4 pages on this, but I can simplify it by saying that until to lose all sense of time, and a constant urge in your subconscious that you have to "be somewhere", then you will be seen by the deer first before you see them.

That's literally all there is to it.

WW,

This is exactly right. I have only had one still hunt in my career (Just started pounding ground last year), but I was able to get very close to deer.

Something I have done in preparation for this season is researching sniper techniques of movement and concealment. Obviously the ghillie is a tool of their trade. But it does not end there, the ghillie makes you part of the environment, not even used as a sniper would. Now you are part of your surroundings to a certain extent. This forms even more psychological element to the hunt. Hathcock, a USMC sniper, reportedly had patrols almost step on him during his famous suicide mission. The whole mission is a cool read, but you'll notice the was in a complete state of concentration against all odds and variables he faced. Upon looking into that more, he was a master of "flow," a mental state a total immersion in your task or goal that challenges you and meets your skill set.

It is a very interesting study, and translates well into hunting. Obviously, we are hunters, and not snipers, but we can learn a lot not only by the factors we control, but by their mentality of getting the job done right without compromise. And that is exactly what we try to do, from the planning to the shot.

You DO NOT need special physical skills to stillhunt. If you can walk, kneel, squat, sit, and are able to stand on one leg without losing your balance you're there.

The most difficult part of stillhunting is the MENTAL aspect. Most of us are modern humans trying to adjust to an environment of natural rythms which are completely opposite how we otherwise exist. I could write 4 pages on this, but I can simplify it by saying that until to lose all sense of time, and a constant urge in your subconscious that you have to "be somewhere", then you will be seen by the deer first before you see them.

That's literally all there is to it.

WW,

This is exactly right. I have only had one still hunt in my career (Just started pounding ground last year), but I was able to get very close to deer.

Something I have done in preparation for this season is researching sniper techniques of movement and concealment. Obviously the ghillie is a tool of their trade. But it does not end there, the ghillie makes you part of the environment, not even used as a sniper would. Now you are part of your surroundings to a certain extent. This forms even more psychological element to the hunt. Hathcock, a USMC sniper, reportedly had patrols almost step on him during his famous suicide mission. The whole mission is a cool read, but you'll notice the was in a complete state of concentration against all odds and variables he faced. Upon looking into that more, he was a master of "flow," a mental state a total immersion in your task or goal that challenges you and meets your skill set.

It is a very interesting study, and translates well into hunting. Obviously, we are hunters, and not snipers, but we can learn a lot not only by the factors we control, but by their mentality of getting the job done right without compromise. And that is exactly what we try to do, from the planning to the shot.

well said, both of you.

The only real difference between a good tracker and a bad tracker is observation. All the same data is present for both. The rest is understanding what you are seeing.

The most difficult part of stillhunting is the MENTAL aspect. Most of us are modern humans trying to adjust to an environment of natural rythms which are completely opposite how we otherwise exist. I could write 4 pages on this, but I can simplify it by saying that until to lose all sense of time, and a constant urge in your subconscious that you have to "be somewhere", then you will be seen by the deer first before you see them.

And WW, I would be happy to read 4 pages on this.

Also, part of flow is loss of temporal perception (arguable to sense of navigation of where you are, how you are getting there, and when you need to be there...your initial entrance and placement), Temporal perception and navigation are most definitely correlated. However, for our purposes temporal perception factors differently for hunting, mostly for how and when we shoot.

This list was published this year, in rebuttal to the original Flow Diagram developed:

Knowing what to doKnowing how to do itKnowing how well you are doingKnowing where to go (if navigation is involved)High perceived challengesHigh perceived skillsFreedom from distractions

For any of those, we can establish better preparation for a hunt by filling in what we are good at, what we need to practice more, and then practicing all of those elements for an optimum skill set that will meet the challenge (goal). From limiting movement, to turning your phone off, to our approach into the deer woods.

Here is the diagram:

Flow is very underrated for as much as we overuse it every single day. Ever here "let the training take over?" This is flow, we are using our skills to meet a challenge, like a sniper is trained to stalk and kill his target. Constantly we run perfect scenarios through our head, and this does help to motivate. However, realism will take place and will lead to mediocrity in our goal placement. I personally love a full freezer, I love deer meat, but I am always hunting the king of the woods rack in there. That is where I place my goal. While it is not easy by any means and so many factors go into it, it is a challenge that meets my skill set. That allows me to prepare mentally for every hunt and develop into a better hunter. If I come "short," it is "practice." I use the word practice in hast as if I harvest a doe, it is still a successful hunt, more knowledge in my book on how things go right, but the end goal remains the same.

A point of mention is that flow goes very deep into many analyzed physiological aspects...self conscience, over learning, temporal perception, cybernetics, etc. It is a natural balance we strike on our heads without realizing it. It is double think almost, and why that phenomenon exists. What is even more cool (and I am doing a personal study on) is how flow relates to "going rouge or against the grain," ineffective management, and disgruntled employees. Think about it in your work place and the tasks you are sometimes given. Think about how annoying it is when you are pulled away from something you want to or are good at doing. Flow is a key to this problems that you won't read in text books or be taught in a business course.

And a disclaimer, I am not a psychologist, I just like thinking....the solution almost always relies in the problem. I think we can use this to hunt better and become more successful as hunters, and even more so, ground pounders.

WOW! I guess you do! While I do agree with what you said, I never put that much thought and analysis into it.

I break it down like this........

Your concept of "flow" as "let the training take over" summarizes it well. I shoot and hunt with a recurve that I shoot instinctively and "training" or ingraining everything in my shooting form to muscle memory is just what I do as far as my bow goes. And it DOES work. If you train enough then when the clsoe encounter with game comes you literally think of nothing else by the animal and the spot on the animal that you want the arrow to hit. If you have to think of ANYTHING about your form or the bow, even for a nano-second, then the shot may very well not be all it should be.

The other part that ties right into this is that in my opinion ALL human beings have predator genes buried deep within us. It's part of our DNA, and the primary reason why we evolved like we did. Most folks not only never if rarely use them, but for the most part aren't even aware of them, but they're there none the less.

I've been a hunter for close to 50 years now, and while my "predator" skills can't even scratch the surface of an Khalahari Bushman for instance, I have noticed that my powers of observation are at least 10 times that of the average person who hasn't spend 5 decades in the woods. My livilihood demands that I be outdoors most of the time and I find that I already know what the barometer is doing and what the coming weather will be just by unconsciously sensing subtle changes in the wind, humidity and cloud types. Bear in mind that I don't even have to THINK about this, it's just there. I also sense changes in vegetation (what's blooming, dying, ripening, etc.), angle and change of time that the sun dictates, movement and behavior plus all "sign" of birds and other wildlife that mark the phases of the seasons. Simply put, I don't need the calendar or the weatherman. I started my outdoor life as a trapper when I was 12, and did that for 15 years. If nothing else, trapping will make you earn a PHD is the skills of woodmanship and "reading sign". I also have what I call "hunter's eye". That's a preception of movement...however slight, to any changes in my surroundings. I'm for sure not unique in this, many hunters have it, and in my case it's NOT something that I can "shut off". Sometimes it's distracting, as when I see some kind of animal poop or other sign and I have to stop whatever I'm doing and read it until I figure it out. Truth is, I NEVER figure it all out, which is why I'm so fascinated by it!

Granted, when I haven't hunted for a while my "modern human/gotta be there at whatever o'clock" habits of daily living mess me up, but it doesn't take me long to shut that part down and get my "mind right".

ALL of these things come into play when I stillhunt. When I'm really "in the zone", I sometimes get into a state when I can sense the presence of game before I ever see it. That can get a little scary!

Simply out, stillhunting is THE ultimate hunt, even if you come home empty handed. If I can get close...REAL close...to a deer and it walks away with no idea of my presence, that is about as good as killing one.

I have a tendency to really research out lesser known psych topics like these for fun, but also because they relate to so much of what we do on a daily basis. Kind of explaining the un-explained. The more we learn about them, we can better realize their importance.

I agree, I don't shoot instinctively with a compound, but I will aim instinctively. For example my 20 yard pin is set low so I can shoot sub 20 yards which gives me a relatively flat shot at those yardages. Thats why I brought up temporal perception, or time perception....we have clocks that allow us to assess rates of motion. How do we learn to catch a ball? We "just do it." Without going deep into it, our brains are doing rapid time, speed, and distance calculations giving us the ability to judge. I don't hunt with a rangefinder, I just rely on my natural ability to judge distances if I have to.

Instinctive archery is something I want to get into, however the time evades me. It is completely temp perception I feel, your focusing on one specific area, and adjusting to hit that spot. I can't comment much beyond that as I don't do it, but that's the theory, or at least the one I apply. You are correct with form, I have fixed a few basic issues with my this year and what a difference having the same exact anchor point every time, and balancing the bow better has made. It is now automatic. Once you get a few shots down range during practice, I stop thinking about running a mental checklist of my form and just focus on breathing. I know enough to tell why I made a bad shot based on where the arrow went or how I felt about the release.

I would agree again, while I am not that seasoned, the things I am able to point out through the day based on movement that you talk about. You can see a groundhog as soon as it pops it head up, a few minutes later someone will say "oh a ground hog!" and you'll look 20 yards from where it came out automatically (because subconsciously when you first see him you can see the terrain). It is a very cool "sense," I will have to look more into how and why we do that....I never thought to do that. I think this relates to temp perception again, but there is a different link I feel.

The more time I spend in the woods, the more I learn. You learn something new every time, and even things I have thought were hard rules have proven wrong. Now, I have an out if it does not go according to the "rule." With a hunters eye, and hunters sense, that is why it is even better to wear a ghillie. You are that much more a part of the environment.

Great stuff WW, I started getting into this last year after I realized I just was not successful as I thought I would be, was or am. Tough hand to deal yourself! I started getting ready for this season very early. And thanks to Marc Anthony, he really opened my eyes to this approach. I just knew there had to be something better than what I was doing. Thinking back on it, I don't know what I was doing!! But the tough learning that I went through has helped immensely. I am pretty much done with overly marketed and heavily commercialized hunting products since then to. In about a month is the start of hunting solely off the ground as my main method. I cannot wait to even make mistakes I don't know I'll make yet!

Also, I plan to try to film some of my hunts and do a write up on the action of the day. I will probably end up making a thread once the season gets going.

Do it! I'd love to follow it. For me ( and I can almost guarantee that it will be for you too) this kind of stuff is a continual learning experience. Not just my own experiences but those of others like yourself also.

Here's a tip........

I like to plan my stillhunts as much as possible so that I have the wind going crosswise to the direction I'm hunting. If at all possible, I like to have the downwind side going into an open field or some other area that I least expect deer to be in or approach from. Based on this, as you move ever so slowy through an area WATCH YOUR BACK TRAIL AS MUCH AS YOUR FRONT! If you are moving slow enough, and you're not busting them out ahead of you (if you are, then SLOW DOWN.....WAAAAAAAY DOWN!) then area you came through is still just as good a potential area to have deer approach from as what's ahead of you. In fact, not watching my backtrail as diligently as I should have has probably been the biggest cause of me being busted.

Oh, and BTW......if you're a fan of Marc Anthony then you are definately a fan of the right person for stillhunting!